Open English Translation 1KI Chapter 8

8 So Shelomoh assembled the Israeli leaders, and the tribal and clan heads, in Yerushalem to celebrate the arrival of the box containing Yahweh’s agreement coming from David’s city, i.e., Tsiyyon/Zion.[ref] 2 This all happened during the Celebration in Shelters in the seventh month of Etanin.[ref] 3 The Israeli elders and the priests lifed the sacred box 4 and carried it to the temple. Other priests and Levites brought all the sacred objects from the sacred tent. 5 King Shelomoh and all the Israelis who were there, walked ahead of the box, sacrificing more sheep and cattle than could be counted, because there were so many.

6 Then the priests brought the box containing the agreement into the inner room in the temple (the very holy place), and placed it beneath the wings of the two wooden winged creatures, 7 The two creatures had their wings stretched out and touching in the middle of the room where the sacred box was placed, so their wings covered over the top of the box and its carrying poles. 8 The poles were very long and the ends of them could be seen from the entrance to that inner room, but otherwise they couldn’t be seen from the outside, and they’re still there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the box except for the two stone slabs that Mosheh (Moses) had put inside at Mt. Sinai (also called Horev) where Yahweh made the agreement with the Israelis after he’d brought them out of Egypt.[ref]

10 When the priests came back out of the holy place, a cloud filled Yahweh’s residence[ref] 11 and the priests were unable to stand to minister because of the cloud, because Yahweh’s presence had filled his temple. 12 Then Shelomoh said, “Yahweh stated that he would dwell in the cloudy darkness.[ref] 13 Actually, I’ve built a raised house for you—where you can live forever.”

14 Then while all the people stood there, the king turned around and pronounced a blessing on all Israel, 15 saying, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke audibly to my father David, and then put into action the promise he’d given, 16 ‘From the day when I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I didn’t choose a city from among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in so that my name would be established there. Instead I chose David to lead my people Israel.’ ”[ref]

17 Shelomoh continued, “My father David wanted to build a temple to confirm Yahweh’s power and authority here.[ref] 18 However, Yahweh told him that it was good that he wanted to build a temple for him, 19 however he wouldn’t be the one to build it, because it would be his biological son who would do it.[ref]

20 Now Yahweh has put his promise into action, and I’m here now having succeeded my father David—sitting on Israel’s throne just as Yahweh said, and I’ve been the one to build the residence for Israel’s God Yahweh. 21 I’ve included a place for the box containing the two stone tablets with the agreement that Yahweh made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”

22 Then Shelomoh stood between Yahweh’s altar and all the gathered Israelis, and held his arms up towards the sky 23 and prayed, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there’s no God like you in the heavens above or here on the earth below, keeping the agreement and showing loyal affection to your servants, the ones who serve you with honest devotion. 24 You have done what you told your servant David, my father, that you said you’d do—you said it with your mouth and then put it into action with your hands as we can see today. 25 Now, Yahweh, the God of Israel, do the other things for your servant David my father, when you told him that there’ll always be one of his descendants on Israel’s throne, provided they follow you like he did.[ref] 26 So now, God of Israel, show that you’re faithful to do what you say, by doing what you told your servant David, my father.

27 “But would God really reside on the earth? The sky and the heavens aren’t big enough for you so how could this building I’ve constructed contain you?[ref] 28 But still, please give attention to your servant’s prayer and my request for favour, Yahweh my God. Please listen to my humble prayer that your servant is praying to you today 29 that your eyes be on this house night and day—the place that you’ve said will be associated with your name. May you answer the prayers that your servant will pray towards this place.[ref] 30 Listen to your servant’s plea for favour, and the prayers that your people Israel will pray toward this place. Keep listening from where you live in the heavens, and hear and forgive.

31 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbour and says on oath that the accusation is false, and makes that oath in front of your altar here in this temple, 32 then you should listen from the heavens and judge your people Israel, so that wicked people will be condemned and bear the appropriate punishment, and innocent people should be declared not guilty and dealt with appropriately.

33 When your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they’ve sinned against you, and they turn back to you and confess your name and pray, and plead for favour toward you in this temple, 34 then you should listen from the heavens and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to this land that you gave to our ancestors.

35 “Or when the rain is held back in the sky because your people have sinned against you, and then they pray towards this place and acknowledge you and turn away from the disobedience that caused the problem, 36 then listen to them from the heavens and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, because you’ll direct them towards the right way to conduct themselves. Then you’ll send rain onto your land that you gave to your people as an inheritance.

37 “Suppose that there was a drought in the land, or diseases like blight or mildew, or swarms of locusts or grasshoppers, or if an enemy besieges them in a gated city, or some other trouble or calamity, 38 then if anyone from your people Israel who knows about their own disobedience would spread out their palms toward this temple, 39 then listen to them from your heavenly abode and forgive their sin, and give them what they need. You and you alone are the only one who knows what’s inside a human heart. 40 Then the people will want to obey you as long as they’re alive here in the land that you gave to our ancestors.

41 “Also the foreigners who’re not descendants of Israel and who came from distant countries because of your reputation 42 (when they heard about your nature and saw your power in action), and they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then listen to them from your abode in the heavens and do what that foreigner begged of you, so that all the countries will know your reputation and respect you like your people Israel do. Then they’ll know that your authority is connected with this residence that I’ve built.

44 “When your people go out to battle against the enemy, and on the road where you sent them they pray to you Yahweh, in this city that you’ve chosen, with this house that I’ve built for your honour, 45 Then listen from the heavens to their prayer and their request, and help their situation.

46 “If they disobey you (because everyone sins) and you’re angry with them and cause them to be defeated by their enemies, and then they get taken prisoner and led away to the enemy’s country (even a far away country), 47 and then they have a change of mind in the land where they were taken to as captives, and while they’re still living in that land, they turn back and beg for your favour and confess, ‘We’ve disobeyed and done wrong—we’ve behaved wickedly,’ 48 and they return to you with all their hearts and all their souls in the land of their enemies where they were taken captive, and they pray to you toward the direction of their country which you gave to their fathers, the city that you chose, and the residence that I’ve built for your honour, 49 then listen to their prayers and requests from your abode in the heavens, and help their situation. 50 Forgive your people who’ve disobeyed you and forgive the wicked things that they’ve done. Help their captors to be compassionate to them, 51 because they’re your people and your special possession who you brought out from Egypt—from the middle of the iron-smelting furnace.

52 “May you notice the plea for favour from your servant and from your people Israel—to listen to them in all their crying out to you. 53 For you yourself separated them for yourself as a special possession out of all the people groups in the world, just as you said through your servant Mosheh when you brought our ancestors out from Egypt, my master Yahweh.”

54 Once Shelomoh was finished praying this prayer and request for favour to Yahweh, he stood up from bowing on his knees with his palms spread out toward the heavens in front of Yahweh’s altar, 55 then stood there and blessed all the Israeli people, saying, 56 “Blessed be Yahweh, who has given peace to his people Israel like he said he would. He didn’t fail to do even one part out of all the good things that he told his servant Mosheh that he’d do.[ref] 57 May our God Yahweh be with us, just as he was with our ancestors. May he not leave us or abandon us, 58 help us to want to follow him and walk on all his paths and obey his commands and statutes and judgments that he gave our ancestors. 59 May this prayer of mine pleading for Yahweh’s favour, be remembered by our God Yahweh day and night—to protect both his servant and his people Israel as each day requires, 60 so that all the people groups in the worlds would know that Yahweh is the God—there’s no other besides him. 61 And you people, may your purpose be to completely follow our God Yahweh, by obeying his statutes, and by keeping his commands like you’re doing today.”

62 Then the king and all the Israelis offered sacrifices to Yahweh, 63 and King Shelomoh sacrificed peace offerings to Yahweh (twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep) and the king and the Israelis dedicated Yahweh’s residence. 64 On that day the king reserved the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the temple, because that was where he made the burnt up offerings and the grain offerings and the fat pieces of the peace offerings. This was because the bronze altar was too small to handle all those offerings.

65 Then Shelomoh and Israelis from all over the country celebrated in front of Yahweh at that time—people from Lebo-Hamat in the far north down to the Egyptian border in the far south—one week, then a second week—a total of fourteen days. 66 The next day, he instructed the people to go home, and they blessed the king, then went home feeling happy and encouraged because of all the good things that Yahweh had done for his servant David’s family and for his people Israel.